Wooden tobacco-box



(No Model.)

J. M. BAKER.

WOODEN TOBACCO BOX.

No. 451,549. Patented May 5., 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH MARTIN BAKER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

WOODEN TOBACCO-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 451,549, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed February 18, 1891. Serial No. 381,876. (No model.)

.T0 all whom, t may conc/2171,.-

Be it known that LJosEPH MARTIN BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county ot Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to boxes used for storing and transporting tobacco; and it consists in a novel construction of the same, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the construction of these boxes, which are usually made of sycamore or other hard wood, difiiculty is encountered in the production of a box which will remain air-tight. The tobacco is compressed into the boxes with a pressure of about two tons to the square inch, and if moisture is allowed to enter the tobacco becomes moldy and a dead loss to the manufacturer, besides swelling, and thereby splitting the box. In order, therefore, to overcome these objections, I construct the box as represented in the accompanying drawings, in Which*- Figure l is a perspective view of abox construct-ed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view on the line o: no, with parts broken away; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view on the vline y y, with parts broken away; and Fig. 4, a perspective view of one corner of one of the end sections.

A indicates the box as a whole, comprising the four sides B, the ends C, and the strips or cleats D. Each of the sides is composed of two or more pieces a and b united by glue or cement or other means, and having the grain of one piece running at right angles to that ot the other, as shown. An open-ended box is then made up of the four compound sides 13,

united at their edges by the nails or brads c,

some ot' which, as shown in Fig. 3, pass` through both the inner and outer pieces of one side into the inner piecev of the other side, while the remainder pass only tl'irough' the outer piece of one side into the inner piece of the contiguous side. To give increased strength to the structure, the outer pieces a of the sides B are tenoned and mortised, as shown in Fig. 1,which tenoning and mortising may take the form ot a dovetail joint, it desired.

Upon reference to Figs.1,2, and 3 it will be observed that the grain of the outer pieces a of the sides runs circumferentially or around the box, so that the swellingl or shrinking of the wood forming the sides will not destroy the integrity of the joints, the wood swelling or shrinking` laterally, as it were, instead of lengthwise, ot' the gra-in. Even were the joints between the pieces t to give slightly', the joints between the pieces b would remain intact and prevent the entrance of moisture.

The ends or heads C are composed of two fastened together, with the grain of one crossing that of the other, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and a. The outer piece d, which has the grain running vertically, is a little longer (vertically) than the inner piece e, While the said inner piece e is a little wider than the outer piece, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4t, a peculiarity in construction which becomes important when we consider the` direction of swelling and shrinking and the pressure to which the tobacco and box are subjected. Under the ordinary plan the swelling of the head or end would cause the joints at the edges of the sides to open and thereby admit moisture; or in case the head or end should shrink it would either split or else draw away from the sides and thus admit moisture. Such conditions cannot arise under the preseut construction, for it is clear that it the outer piece d of the end or head swell it will not, owing to its decreased width, push out the sides of the box; or it the inner piece e were to swell it could not, for a similar reason,`push against the sides. It, on the contrary, the outer piece d should shrink, the cross-grained inner picco would still cover the joint; or it the inner piece should shrink the joint would remain covered or protected by the outer piece. From this it follows that no matter which of the pieces shrinks, the

v joint between the ends or heads and the sides will remain practically air-tight and exclude the moisture under all conditions of the weather, dic., a feature of great impor- (or more) pieces d and e, glued or otherwise V tance in the storing and transportation ot tobacco, which, as soon as the tremendous pressure is removed, tends naturally to expand and subjects the box to considerable strain.

I might add here that Sycamore is the wood ICO most commonly used in the construction of these boxes, and that great ditliculty is encountered in uniformly drying the Sallie. lt' the wood is dried too much, it becomes brittle, will swell in damp weather, and is liable to split. It', on the other hand, it is not dried enough, the box will shrink when placed in a dry store-house and the objectionsheretofore noted will attach. All this trouble and annoyance is avoided withabox constructed in accordance with my invention, although made of the samekind of wood. rThe heads or ends will be held in place by means of the ordi` nary strips or cleats D, shown in Figs. l and 2, and (preferably) also by means of nails or bradsf, passing through the side pieces, as shown in Fig. 2.

If desired, theinner pieces Z) ofthe sides may be made narrow, so as to permit them to swell without exerting any tendency to force the joints at the corners, though as they are protected from the weather by the outer pieces b this precaution will not ordinarily be neeessary.

It will be observed upon reference to Fig. 3 that the ends of the pieces (l e are approximately parallel with the sides of the said pieces c d, so that when the pieces swell they will not touch, or at least exert any pressure upon, the sides of the box, as would be the case were the projecting ends made curved, as has been proposed. Of course absolute parallelism is practically impossible; but the` pieces should in every case be so arranged as to preclude the possibility of the sides of the pieces forming the heads or ends touching or exerting any considerable pressure upon the sides of the box in swelling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A packingbox having its heads or ends C each composed of two or more rectangular pieces (Z and e, arranged with the grain eross ingl and with the ends ot' one piece parallel with and projecting beyond the side of the other, all substantially as shown and described, whereby only the ends of the rcspective pieces shall touch the sides of the box, and cleats D, applied to the outer faces of the heads.

2. A packing-box having the sides formed of two or more pieces a l), arranged with the grain crossing, the heads or ends C, itting with the sides and also formed of two or more rectangular pieces d e, arranged with the grain crossing and with the ends of one piece parallel with and projecting beyond the sides of the other piece, and the cleats D, applied to the outer faces of the heads or ends.

A packing-box having the double sides and double ends or heads C, united by nails c andf, passing through the outer pieces of the sides and into theinner pieces ofthe said sides and ends, the pieces forming the ends or heads having their grain crossing.

Jr.. A packing-box having the sides B each formed of two pieces (t l), united by glue or cement with the grain crossing, the pieces (t being tenoned and mortised at their meeting edges, and nails c, driven through the outer piece a of each side into the inner piece l1 of the contiguous side.

5. As a new article of manufacture, the rectangular packing-box head consisting of two rectangular pieces (Z and e, secured together with the grain crossing and with the ends of one piece projecting beyond the sides of the other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MARTIN BAKER.

Witnesses:

C. C. Marroni., Jr., ll.. (l. Pinon. 

